Pele robbed at gunpoint

Reuters

TREASURE ROBBED: Football hero and Brazilian 'national treasure' Pele has reportedly been robbed at gunpoint while driving near a Brazilian slum.

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Brazilian football great Pele has been robbed at gunpoint as his car passed near a Brazilian slum, media reports say.

Pele was in a car that was stopped by several men armed with pistols and knives on June 13, near a slum in the city of Santos, the Associated Press reported, citing a news magazine's website.

Pele told the men who he was but his gold necklace, cellphone and watch were still taken. However, other items were returned.

He is understood not to have filed a police report, and the event only became public recently.

Pele, who led the Brazilian team to three World Cup titles, is legally a Brazilian national treasure.

Armed gangs often rob motorists on Brazilian highways by setting up makeshift roadblocks near slums, AP said.

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